Share this story

Story Photos

HAZEL DELL, Wash. - Deputies in Hazel Dell are searching for a young suspect, possibly a teen, after a shooting at an apartment complex and an armed robbery at a nearby convenience store Friday morning.

One man was injured in the shooting. A SWAT unit responded to the scene and "surrounding residences were evacuated" according to deputies.

Deputies said the suspect, described as young adult male, 16 to 22 years old with a thin build and wearing dark clothing, is suspected in the shooting of a 48-year-old man at an apartment complex in the 1100 block of NE Minnehaha near Highway 99 just after 1 a.m.

Deputies said the injured man, the suspect and others in the apartment fled the residence. The gunshot victim was taken to a hospital. His condition has not been released.

A woman who was in the home and did not want to be identified said her boyfriend was cooking when the shooting began. She said she was asleep at the time.

"All I know is, someone came in through my back door, started chasing my boyfriend through the house, shooting at him," she said.

"I saw the gunman run after my boyfriend into the bathroom and I ran out of the house and called 9-1-1," she said. "Five minutes later, my boyfriend came to the neighbors and collapsed on the ground and the paramedics came and took him."

She said her boyfriend was shot in the back and stomach but was able to tell police the name of the shooting suspect and she also said the suspect is a teenager.

A short time later, an armed robbery was reported at a 7-Eleven in the 4500 of St. John's Boulevard and the description of the suspect was similar to that of the shooting suspect.

The 7-Eleven is less than a mile from the scene of the shooting. No one was hurt in that incident, deputies said.

Deputies and police continue to search for the suspect. Despite the shooting victim identifying the suspect, law enforcement officials have not released that name.